Cooler apparatus



Feb. 4, 1941. W G CARROLL 2,230,862

COOLER APPARATUS Filed June 16, 1954 INV-ENTER.-

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Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention has reference to cooler apparatus for bottled beverages, particularly to coolers of the self-contained type adapted for use in retailing establishments where beverages are sold.

An object of the invention is to provide a beverage cooling and storage unit containing a refrigerating unit, a coin operated meter for controlling operation of the same, means for precooling bottled beverages and additional cooling means whereby the beverages are maintained at a suitable temperature for consumption.

Another object is to provide a cooler of the class described having special means for cooling the beverages just prior to consumption.

Still another object ls to provide a self-contained storage and cooling unit of sturdy construction, handsome appearance and maximum utility as will be set forth in the following description and accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus with covers open and a portion broken away to permit clear view of the interior arrangement; and

Fig 2 is a iragmental sectional view of a portion of the upper wall showing details of construction to be described. A

Fig. 1 discloses the unit as comprising a cabinet I0 having a lower compartment designated i I, a central compartment I2 and an upper compartment I3, the interior of which is best shown in Fig. 2.

Compartments II and I2 are provided with suitable doors Ill and I5 opening outwardly at the side of the cabinet, while compartment I3 is provided with doors I6 opening upwardly, as shown, to provide convenient access to the compartment.

The portion ai the cabinet surrounding compartments I2 and I3, as well as doors I5 and I6, are suitably insulated, as indicated in the drawing, to avoid loss of refrigeration. The partition member which separates and defines the compartments I2 and I3 differs in heat insulation characteristics from the portion of the cabinet surrounding these compartments in that it is adapted to absorb and transfer only a certain amount of heat. It is well understood that no insulation is perfect and the partition may be made only as eiicient as desired as a heat insulator to permit` only a limited amount of heat to be absorbed to produce the desired relative temperature conditions in the two compartments. Castors such as Il may be attached to provide portability. The walls of compartment II and door I4 are providedv with louvers or other form of openings to allow free circulation of air therethrough.

Within the compartment II is'disposed a conventional refrigerating unit generally comprising a motor I8, a compressor I9 and a radiator 20. t5

The refrigerating unit is provided with a conventional thermostatic control element whereby the refrigerating action of the unit is controlled within predetermined limits.

Also within the cabinet is disposed a coin conla tral meter 2l. Since the particular mechanism of this meter does not comprise a part of the present invention, it will not be described further than to say that the power connection of motor I8 is routed through the meter, and the mechl5 anism of the meter is adapted to be controlled by a coin inserted in the slot 22 thereof in such a manner that the motor remains in circuit during a certain period of operation for each coin inserted in the slot.

By the means described, operation of the refrigerating unit is limited to an amount in accordance with the number of coins inserted, whereby a measured paid-in-advance service is provided. Additional on and off control of the 25 motor is provided by a switch 23 disposed in the central compartment I2.

Reference to Fig. 2 will disclose that the upper compartment I3 comprises a pan 23', adapted to contain water of suicient depth to substantially cover bottles such as 24 placed therein for cooling,

Surrounding the upper portion of pan 23', but disposed inside of the insulated walls of the cabinet, are expansion pipes 25, so disposed as to absorb heat more rapidly from the upper side portions of the pan 23', whereby, with the pan filled to an ordinary working depth and the refrigerating unit in operation, a rim or wall of `ice is` quickly formed substantially as shown at-26 in Fig. 2. 40

Since the pipes 25 extend entirely around the pan 23, it follows that the ice forms in a substantially continuous rim about the interior of the pan.

It will be apparent that the rim of ice so formed may be chipped away from the walls of the pan to oat freely about among the bottles therein and absorb heat from the cooling water. The same effect may be produced by stopping operation of the refrigerating unit as by means of the switch 23, whereby elevation ofthe temperature of the pan walls will rapidly cause the ice to fall away from the walls and float about in the water as described.

The utility of the novel arrangement of heat absorbing elements will be apparent when it is explained thatin the case of a substantially large cubical body'to be cooled. such as a pan of water containing bottles of liquid, uniform cooling throughout the body is quite diilicult to accomplish for the reason that heat is most rapidly absorbed from the liquids .at the points immedi- I ately adjacent the heat absorbing elementswhile absorption of heat from the central or remote portions of the body of liquid is relatively slow.

Thus thebody of liquid, as a whole, cannot lbe uniformly cooled without more or less elaborate means for circulating the liquid so as to continuously bring all portions of the liquid into contact with the heat absorbing surfaces, or as an alternative the heat absorbing elements must be more or less uniformly distributed throughout the body of the liquid in order to absorb heat uniformly from all portions thereof.

In a device of the class here considered, neither of the foregoing methods is practicable for the reasons that utilization of either means entails considerable extra complication and manufactur- 'ing cost yand would require the use of valuable space which otherwise could be used for accommodation ofl more merchandise. Further, in a device such as this, the bottles contained in pan 23 are constantly being hurriedly withdrawn, replacedand moved about in such a manner that any extra apparatus in the pan would be always subject tov damage and therefore highly unsatisfactory.

With the foregoing in mind, it will be apparent that by the structure described I provide a simple, highly eilicient means for uniformly cooling the liquid and contents of pan 23'.

- therein, whereby the temperature of merchandise placed in the compartment is lowered somewhat from that of the atmosphere and is thus prepared for subsequent transfer to compartment I3, where it is quickly cooled to the desired dispensing temperature as above described.

The pre-cooling chamber is intended only to partlycool the bottles.

- used as a .regulator or choke to control the amount of heatremoved from the hot bottles disposed in the lower chamber I2. If no insulation were used the hot bottles would in all prob` ability radiate sufiicient heat to prevent proper coolingof the bottles in the upper chamber I3.

WhatI claim is: Y

1. A cooler having, in combination, a case provided with upper closures, an open top metal tank disposed within the case toward the upper end thereof and dimensioned relative to the case to forma space between the side walls ofthev case and the side walls of the tank, and a refrigervating unit expansion ycoil disposed in said space and embracing said metal tank walls to effect elcient thermal contact between the expansin v coil and said tank walls. l

2. In'a refrigerating device, an upper compart- The partition with its limited heat insulation characteristics is only ment provided with a tank forming a container for bottled beverages and the like, a refrigerating compartment below said tank providing a precooler for the bottled beverages, and a refrigerant-evaporator in said upper compartment surrounding the tank.

3. In a refrigerating device, an upper compartment provided with a tank for containing bottled beverages'and thelike, a lower dry refrigerating compartment providing a precooler for the bottled beverages, access to said tank being had through openings in the top of said refrigerating device, and a refrigerant-evaporator in the upper compartment surrounding said tank.

4. A refrigerating device comprising a cabinet including insulated top and side walls, said cabinet providing an upper compartment having a tank for containing bottled beverages vand the "like, the top of said cabinet having openings l including insulated top and side walls, said cabinet providing an upper compartment having a tank for containing bottled beverages and the like, the top of said cabinet having openings closed by covers permitting access to said tank, a lower dryrefrigerating compartment, and a refrigerant-evaporator in the form of a relatively long coil located in the upper compartment and surrounding said tank, whereby said coil presents a large surface area.

6. A refrigerating device comprising a cabinet including insulated top and side walls, said cabinet providing an upper compartment having a tank for containing bottled beverages and the like, and a dry refrigerating compartment located below said tank, the side walls of said tank being spaced from the insulated side walls of the cabinet, and a refrigerant-evaporator in the form of a cooling coil substantially occupying said space and surrounding said tank.

7. A cooler for bottled beverages and the like having in combination a case provided with upper closures and an open top relatively shallow metal tank disposed within the case toward the upper `end thereof, said metal tank being of a size to hold a large volume of cooling water to act as a thermal flywheel, a lower compartment in said case under the tank, a refrigerant liquefying 'mechanism in said compartment, said tank having walls constructed and arranged to provide a space between the side walls of the case and the interior of the tank, and a refrigerating coil connected to said mechanism disposed in said space arranged to absorb heat from the contents of the tank, the coil being protected against physicall contact with the beverage bottles and ar` low open top metal tank disposed within the devicetoward the upper end thereof, said metal 'tanklfbeing of a size to hold a large volume of -coolingwaterto' act as a thermal flywheel, a

lower compartment in .said device under the Vtanlgrefrigerant liquefying mechanism in said compartment, vsaid tank having walls. constructed and arranged to provide a space between the il side walls .of the case and the cooling water in the tank, and a refrigerating coll connected to said-mechanism disposed in said space and arranged to absorb heat from the cooling water in --tii'e tank, the coil being protected against physical contact with the beverage bottles and arranged to prevent substantial circulation of the cooling water around the coils thereby to protect the coils from physical damage and to provide a sanitary, easily cleanable tank.

WILLIAM G. CARROLL. 

